German Demolition Association elects new Executive Board
Johannes Schlenter confirmed as Chairman – “Shaping the association and industry for decades to come”
The members of the Deutscher Abbruchverband e. V. (German Demolition Association, DA) elected the Executive Board for the next four years at the DA Annual Congress in Magdeburg. The five-member body will comprise Ralf Brune, Mario Prümer, Philipp Bunde, Mathias Heermann and Johannes Schlenter. At the subsequent constituent meeting of the Executive Board, Johannes Schlenter was re-elected Chairman.
Ralf Brune and Mario Prümer are joining the Executive Board as new members. Philipp Bunde, Mathias Heermann and Johannes Schlenter were confirmed by the General Assembly for a further term of office.
At the same time, the German Demolition Association is bidding farewell to Thomas Lück and Kai Wist from the Executive Board. After twelve years of Board service, both have reached the maximum permitted term of office and are therefore stepping down from the body. The DA expressly thanks them for their many years of commitment, their experience and their dedication to the association and the demolition industry as a whole.
The election marks an important step in setting the course for the association’s future work. The demolition and recycling industry is facing profound technical, economic and regulatory changes. The circular economy and resource conservation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, securing skilled labour and qualifications, as well as increasingly complex legislation, will have a major impact on companies’ work in the years ahead.
The new Executive Board combines many years of practical and association experience with new perspectives and a range of specialist priorities.
Ralf Brune: Sharing knowledge and strengthening recycling
Ralf Brune is Managing Director of A. Frauenrath Recycling GmbH and has been active in the German Demolition Association for more than 15 years. Among other roles, he serves as Deputy Chairman of the Recycling and Disposal Committee and as Chairman of the DA regional chapter NRW-Rhineland.
“A good, stable network is tremendously important. It not only enables us to share knowledge and expertise with one another, but also ensures that this knowledge is passed on to future generations. It is especially important to me that recycling companies have a strong platform within the association and that we continue to advance the topics of sustainability and sustainability certification,” Brune explains.
Mario Prümer: Bringing experience from a family business
Mario Prümer is also joining the Executive Board for the first time. The managing partner of Prümer GmbH runs his family business in the third generation and is already active on a voluntary basis in various bodies within the demolition and recycling industry.
“I am old enough to contribute my experience to the association’s work and feel young enough to continue doing so for many years to come. Together with my fellow Board members, I want to support this very well-positioned association in its leadership and further development,” Prümer says.
Philipp Bunde: Digitalisation and greater visibility for the industry
Philipp Bunde, managing partner of sat. Industrie-Abbruch GmbH, has been a member of the Executive Board since 2022. His main areas of focus to date have been education and professional training as well as the association’s press and public relations work.
“For the coming years, I see major opportunities in the further digitalisation of processes and the meaningful integration of AI within the demolition industry and our association. At the same time, modern and strong public relations work remains crucial to making the performance, innovative strength and importance of our industry even more visible,” Bunde says. “I will also continue to advocate practical approaches in education and training and drive forward the transfer of knowledge within companies.”
Mathias Heermann: Driving technical development from practical experience
Mathias Heermann, Managing Director of Heermann Abbruch GmbH, was also re-elected. Since 2022, he has been responsible on the Executive Board primarily for demolition technology, drawing on his experience from construction sites, site management and company management.
“I want to continue playing an active role, with full conviction, in the technical development of our industry and in professional exchange within the association,” Heermann explains.
Johannes Schlenter: The association as a service provider for its members
Johannes Schlenter has been a member of the DA Executive Board since 2018 and already served as Chairman during the previous term of office. Following the General Assembly, his fellow Board members confirmed him in this position once again.
“I see the German Demolition Association as a service provider for our member companies. Our aim must be to provide them with practical and reliable support while at the same time actively promoting professional exchange within our industry,” Schlenter says.
The composition of the new Executive Board therefore reflects key tasks facing the association and its member companies. Practical technical expertise will continue to form the basis of the association’s political and technical work.
Against the backdrop of growing regulatory requirements and the transition towards a more circular construction industry, the DA intends to further strengthen its role as the voice of the demolition and recycling sector. At the same time, services for member companies are to be developed further, knowledge is to be shared within the industry and new technical developments are to be addressed at an early stage.
The Executive Board election took place in the year of the German Demolition Association’s 75th anniversary. The anniversary therefore looks not only back at the association’s development, but deliberately towards the future as well.
The mandate for the next four years is clear: actively shape the framework conditions for the industry, bring practical expertise into political and technical debates, and represent the interests of demolition and recycling companies with a strong, united voice.